Concern Worldwide has welcomed an Ulster Bank humanitarian initiative giving people new ways to donate to their Hurricane Matthew Haiti appeal – which includes a dedicated ATM option for the Irish aid agency.

Ulster Bank, which has supported Concern’s work in some of the world’s poorest countries over the past number of years, said people can donate to Concern’s appeal in their branches, at the bank’s ATMs, on their Anytime Banking website or using their mobile banking app.

A range of options for donating

When using the bank’s ATMs customers can click the “account services” option and then the “donate to charity” option, where they will find Concern.

Ulster Bank staff are also donating €3,000 to Concern's Hurricane Matthew Appeal through a charitable fund which follows previous donations made for other appeals.

The bank’s customers and non-customers can also donate over the counter in branches throughout the Republic of Ireland.

Ulster Bank Anytime Banking customers can donate online or on the bank’s mobile banking app by adding Concern Worldwide as an approved payee under “payments and transfers”.

As was the case during previous emergency appeals, staff at Ulster Bank have donated €3,000 to Concern from their Staff Charity Fund to help those worst affected by the disaster.

"We're determined to help in any way we can"

Managing Director of Ulster Bank Retail Banking, Chris Wilson, said:

“Irish people have a long history of supporting charities and emergency appeals so we’re determined to help in any way we can.

“We know from talking to our customers that doing the right thing and making a difference is important to them".

He added:

“Ulster Bank’s long standing partnership with Concern allowed us to make it easier for people to donate directly to those worst affected during the Philippine Typhoon Appeal in 2013 and the Nepal Earthquake Appeal in 2015”.

“We are hugely grateful to Ulster Bank for their incredible support. Haitians are desperate for help and this is a hugely positive response from Ulster Bank."

“Concern teams are on the ground in Haiti distributing vital aid to thousands whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by this latest natural disaster.

“We need all the support we can get and for people to donate to assist in our emergency response that is already showing alarming levels of hunger and disease”.

Concern has over 110 staff in Haiti, who will be joined this weekend by the aid agency’s Chief Executive Dominic MacSorley, who led the Haitian earthquake response in 2010, which killed over 300,000 people.

Yet another disaster

Hurricane Matthew is yet another disaster that has hit this already vulnerable country, with official figures showing 2.1 million people are affected with a population of 10.1 million, of which a massive 13 per cent, or 1.4 million require urgent immediate aid and assistance over the next three months.

It is feared that the death toll could exceed 1,000 people and there are also significant concerns that there could be a significant cholera epidemic given the grave conditions people are surviving in.

Already there are reports of 510 cases of cholera and Concern’s main focus now will be getting its relief efforts mobilised and to the people directly affected and preventing more from getting the waterborne disease.

If anyone would also like to donate to the Concern Haiti appeal it can be done online.

Concern Worldwide is an international non-governmental humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.